Vanessa Buhr

Have you ever had the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your stomach flutter with excitement and emotion at the sound of a voice? Well, that is exactly what will happen to you when you hear Vanessa Buhr sing. Widely known in Halifax (and beyond) as a soprano soloist of singular talent, Vanessa's breathtaking voice will sweep you away from the workaday world and put you a place of sheer bliss. (And, no, Vanessa did not write this paragraph.)

Operettas are a particular favorite of Vanessa's, and she has been performing in Gilbert & Sullivan productions since 1990, when she landed the role of Zora in the Savoy Society of Ottawa's production of Ruddigore. Returning to Halifax, she became involved in the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia, and has played principal soprano roles in eight productions. She has performed everything from Mabel in Pirates of Penzance to Josephine in HMS Pinafore.

Vanessa has also been heavily involved in Halifax's Theatre Arts Guild, where she has broadened both her acting and musical skills. She has performed in and been musical director for a number of TAG productions, most notably the Canadian premiere of Sheridan Morley's musical Noel and Gertie, in which she played the role of Gertrude Lawrence. This show not only has the distinction of being the most-performed show ever at TAG's Pond Playhouse, but it also went on to the international theatre festivals in both Liverpool, N.S. and Aruba. Vanessa also appeared in and was musical director for TAG's production of The Boyfriend, a production which, according to one local review, "blurred the line between amateur and professional theatre."

Vanessa has a lot of experience performing at weddings. She is comfortable singing with any type of accompaniment or a cappella . Her light, lyrical voice is well suited for both traditional and more contemporary ceremonies.
 
Some of the many selections in her repertoire are listed below. If you have a special song that is not listed here, or if you have an original wedding song, she would be delighted to learn it for you.

Popular Wedding Music
Items beginning with an asterisk (*) are frequently requested selections.

Traditional Selections
* Ave Maria - F. Schubert
Ave Maria - Bach/Gounod
* Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - J. S. Bach
* Panis Angelicus "O Lord Most Holy" (solo or duet) - C. Frank
* Sheep May Safely Graze - J. S. Bach
* Bist Du Bei Mir "Be Thou With Me" - J. S. Bach
* The Lord's Prayer - A.H. Malotte
* Ode to Joy - L.V. Beethoven
Ave Verum - W.A. Mozart
Irish Blessing - J. Moore
Oh, Mio Babino Caro - G. Puccini

Contemporary Selections
* All I Ask of You (solo or duet) - A. L. Weber
What A Wonderful World - G. D. Weiss, R. Thiele
The Wonder of You - B. Knight
True Love - C. Porter
Try to Remember - T. Jones, H. Schmidt
Oh Promise Me - C. Scott, R. de Koven

 

Reviews

Patience

"All through the first act Patience drops malapropisms [...] though none are found in the original script. They work, however, because they suit her and because Vanessa Buhr drops them so innocently. Her comic work, like that of Jason Parkhill [...] and David Wilneff [...] is delicious. These three command the stage, and sing with clear, true voices and superb diction. Who could ask for more?"
--Stephen Pedersen, The Mail Star (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
 

H.M.S. Pinafore

"Vanessa Buhr, as the lovelorn Josephine, is best at giving life, sincerity and credulity to a silly girl. She is a dreamy heroine in peach tones; her gestures are in character even when melodramatic, her soprano voice is clear and high--near to glass-breaking heights in two solos."
--Elissa Barnard, The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The King and I

"Vanessa Buhr is perfectly cast as the willowy British governess who is shocked by the King's treatment of women. Buhr's singing voice is lovely, sweet, and strong."
--Elissa Barnard, The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

An Evening With Gilbert and Sullivan

"But the vocal highlight was Vanessa Buhr singing "Poor Wandering One" to a quite appropriately and mutley dazed Gary Millar. Buhr's coloratura is light, sweet, and lively, perfectly suited to this sparkling repertoire."
--Stephen Pederson, The Chronicle Herald The Mail Star (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

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